Our Song
by money makes me smile
Summary: A series of (unrelated) one-shots inspired by songs. Chapter 4: Rude. Holly decides it's time to take the next step with Gail, however she must first seek approval from the Pecks. The meeting doesn't necessarily go as planned, however.
1. Cop Car

This has been on my mind for about a week now and so I finally decided to write it. It's currently 1:20am, but I wanted to finish writing before heading to bed. I apologize for any mistakes. When I was writing this, I imagined a 20ish year old Gail and 22ish year old Holly (their ages can be up to interpretation though). I've got a list of songs I want to write more Golly stuff to, so this might be the start of a small 'series' of song-inspire fics.

Song: Cop Car by Keith Urban  
I own nothing but the idea.

* * *

_We drove right past  
__That no trespassing sign  
__We sat on the tailgate  
__And watched the planes take off_

It was Gail's idea to ignore the no trespassing sign so elegantly posted on the fence, which separated the never-ending field from the paved road. A slow summer breeze filled the warm night air, softly rustling neatly trimmed grass. Gail slowed the truck to a halt and turned to face her passenger with a smile.

"We should not be here, Gail." Holly's eyes were wide as she spoke, hoping to somehow convince the blonde to reconsider their little adventure.

"Oh, stop. It's fine, I do this all the time. Come on, it gets better!" Her smile grew as she opened her door and exited the truck. Holly followed, biting her bottom lip in the process.

Gail grabbed a couple blankets and pillows she stashed in the back seat and threw them in the bed of the vehicle. By the time Holly had joined her at the back of the truck, she had already created a cozy abode for the two of them. She hopped up and made herself comfortable.

Patting the spot beside her, she continued to beam at the other woman. "Come join me, Dr. Stewart."

Holly shook her head playfully and joined Gail. "I'm not a doctor yet. I only just finished my undergrad."

"Yeah, well soon you'll be one. No point in delaying the inevitable. Oh, look!" Gail pointed out into the field as a plane took off into the night sky. "This is one of my most favourite places to be. There's just something so calming about watching planes come and go. It's therapeutic."

The two lounged together, discussing anything that came to mind; school, politics, sports, everything. It was never awkward between them, and Gail constantly found herself revealing parts of her that she never could with anyone. That was what was so great about their friendship – they could tell each other things.

_We thought we had all night  
__There was no need to rush  
__That's when those cops came pulling up  
__And I thought  
__Man ain't this some shhh_

_Your dad is gonna kill me  
__But if I survive tonight  
__I wouldn't change one thing  
__Baby, yeah, I know it sounds crazy_

It was Holly who spotted the flashing blue and red lights coming up beside them. She sat up to better position herself, prepping her speech for the inevitable encounter with the police.

"Shit," was what escaped her mouth, "Your parents are going to kill me after tonight. And this wasn't even my idea!" Holly looked over at Gail, waiting for some kind of response. What she got, however, was a giggling blonde whose smile never faltered.

"You're funny, Hols."

The brunette's jaw dropped slightly at Gail's reply. "Seriously? Why are you not freaking out right now?"

_But there was something about the way  
__The blue lights were shining,  
__Bringing out the freedom in your eyes.  
__I was too busy watching you going  
__Wild child to be worried about going to jail_

"I told you, nerd, I do this all the time. It's fine!" The oncoming flashing lights reflected in her cerulean orbs, only increasing the carefree, fun nature that shone in her eyes. "My parents are cops, remember? My name alone is our ticket to freedom. Don't worry so much, you'll get wrinkles."

Gail lazily put her hands behind her head and continued to stare at her companion. Holly held her gaze for what seemed like forever. There was that smile again. It never seemed to fade. Damn, she could get lost in Gail Peck's smile. It was like nothing else mattered at that moment.

As the police car pulled up beside them, Gail shifted her focus to their new friend. She raised her head off her hands and sat up straight when she saw who was in the car.

"Oh shit."

Holly turned around to look at the police officer in the car, who clearly was familiar to Gail somehow. "What? What is it?"

Gail grabbed her friend's hand as she leapt off the bed of the truck, "Come on, time to run."

_You were thinking that  
__Running for it  
__Would make a good story  
__I was thinking you were crazy as hell_

"Why are we running? I thought you said it wasn't an issue!" Holly breathed out as they took off into the field, fingers still intertwined.

"Where's your sense of adventure, doctor?" She turned her head to face Holly, feeling the brunette slow down and letting go of her hand. "Running will make a good story." Gail started to run again, this time backwards so as to not lose focus from the brunette.

"You are insane, you know that right?" Holly shouted at the retreating blonde. She grinned once again, making Holly's heart flutter. That smile would be the end of her.

"Gail Peck, stop where you are." They heard the voice echo through the wind from the police car megaphone. The officer had followed them in his car, choosing the easiest way to chase them.

Gail stopped her backwards running and returned to where Holly was located, giving up on running away. The officer stepped out of his car and approached the older woman, sighing as he took out his handcuffs.

_Man they weren't playin'  
__They sure threw those cuffs on quick  
__You tried to sweet talk 'em  
__They didn't fall for it, but I did_

Holly didn't bother resisting arrest. There was no use. She was secretly freaking out on the inside, but refused to let it show. At least, she thought she hid it well.

"Officer, please let us explain. I'm sure we can come to an understanding." Pleading seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Stop talking. And don't move." The officer moved Holly slightly so she could lean against the hood of the car while he walked towards the oncoming Gail.

"Officer Shaw, so glad you could join us this evening. Sorry, if I knew you were coming I would have brought donuts." Gail's sultry walk mixed with her dry wit just added fuel to the ever-growing flame inside Holly. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the scene playing before her.

"Gail, we've been through this multiple times. You can't keep trespassing on these grounds. It's airport property and it isn't safe." Oliver took out another pair of handcuffs before second-guessing and putting them away. "Come on, darling, I'm going to have to bring you in this time."

He took hold of Gail's arm and brought her to the back of his squad. He opened the door and Gail willingly sat inside, giving him a smirk in the process. Oliver then went back to Holly and brought her around to the other side of the car, removing the handcuffs before placing her inside.

"You seem like a smart girl," he said, "I trust you not to do anything stupid." Oliver then looked across Holly to Gail, "That goes for you too, little Peck." He shut the door and took out his cell phone, which Holly assumed he was using to call Gail's parents.

_You were on the left  
__I was on the right  
__I knew you didn't smoke  
__When you asked him for a light  
__And I laughed  
__He got mad and slammed the door_

While Oliver was on the phone, Gail and Holly sat in the back of the squad, having nowhere else to go. Holly sighed and leaned back on the headrest. This was not good. She just graduated from university and now she was in the back of a cop car. This definitely was not how she saw tonight going. Breathing in and out, she looked over to Gail, who was staring out across her through the window.

"Hey Oliver?" The blonde shouted as she leaned over Holly's lap, hoping to get the officer's attention. It worked.

Oliver held the phone to his chest to cover the microphone and opened Holly's door slightly, skepticism showing on his face. "What is it, Gail?"

The corner of the blonde's lips tightened. There was that smirk again. "Do you have a light?"

Holly couldn't help but laugh at the question. She knew Gail didn't smoke, so the inquiry was obviously just to playfully bug him. Oliver shook his head and grunted before slamming the door and continued with his phone call.

_Side by side  
__And locked in tight  
__There were taking their time  
__But we didn't mind  
__  
We talked and we laughed  
__We sat real close  
__By the time they let us go  
__I was already gone_

"Officer Shaw sure is taking his time. He must be on the phone with my mom. Man, I'm going to get reamed out when I get home." Gail mused out loud, but she her voice didn't sound worried.

"Well, at least we got a good story out of this, right? I mean, isn't that all you ever wanted." Holly laughed again. It was then that she noticed Gail was sitting closer to her than before, no doubt from when she leaned over to talk to Oliver moments before.

Gail shrugged. "It wasn't how I saw the end of this night going, but I like to make the best of situations that life throws at me. Running seemed like a good idea at the time."

"I really hope they don't throw me in jail."

The younger woman squeezed Holly's hand gently and that famous smile tugged at her mouth again. "Don't worry, you're super hot. You'll get yourself a bitch in no time."

Holly looked down at their hands. Gail's touch lingered even after she pulled her hand away. "Nah, no one will ever compare to Gail Peck."

"Yeah, you're right. I am a pretty big bitch sometimes. But you can't help but love me. It's my curse."

Their conversation ended when Oliver got in the driver's seat and started the engine. The three sat in silence until Gail spoke up.

"So what did the life-giver say? She revoking my Peck status?"

Oliver kept quiet, driving through the field back to where Gail's truck resided. He put the car in park and stepped out. He approached the back door once again, opening it all the way this time. "Alright you two, I'm letting you go. Now, get out of my squad car. "

Holly didn't need to be told twice. She scooted out after Gail and thanked Oliver for letting them off with a warning. She sighed in relief, her squeaky clean record remained intact.

"I didn't call your mother, Gail."

The blonde looked at the older male perplexed. "You didn't?"

"No. I called Noelle. She agreed with me on giving you a warning one last time. Don't let either of us catch you here again, you here me?"

Gail nodded in understanding. "Thanks Oliver." She started off toward the truck cab before stopping and turned around, "I'll be sure not to get caught next time!"

"Gail…"

"You always were my favourite, Officer Shaw!" She shouted. Grabbing Holly's hand once again, she lead them away from the police car and headed towards the back of the truck.

"Don't get your friend into too much trouble, Peck." Oliver responded, turning to get into his car. "I hear she's going to be a doctor one day. Don't ruin that for her." He waved out the window and drove off, knowing the two females would depart the premise immediately.

Holly looked at the blonde for probably the hundredth time that night. "How does he know I'm going to be a doctor?" She asked with one eyebrow raised.

It was Gail who glanced down at their hands, fingers entwined once again. Without looking up, she said, "I talk about you sometimes. Noelle or Oliver must have heard through the grapevine."

Holly smiled down at the woman in front of her. "I had a really great time tonight. Thanks for bringing me here, Gail."

_And you were so innocent  
__But you were stealing my heart  
__I fell in love in the back of a cop car_

Blue eyes met brown in an infinite gaze. "You're the only friend I've ever brought here, you know that?"

Gail released their grasp and began packing up the blankets and pillows. Not bothering the fold them neatly, she crumbled them all together and rounded the vehicle to the driver's seat. Holly followed suit, opening the passenger door and taking a seat. Gail tossed the pile in the back and hopped in, putting the keys in the ignition.

"Am I really the only friend you've brought here?"

Her response was almost a whisper, "No one's been important enough to share this place with."

"Well we should come here more often then." Gail started the engine and turned back onto the paved road that lead them there. "Just, next time, let's not attract the cops." Holly added with a smile.

Gail laughed and allowed her pearl teeth to show through on her smile, and Holly turned to face the windshield. That damn smile got her again. This would be her new favourite place, too.

* * *

So, I'll probably update this fic with future song-inspired one-shots. If you have suggestions on songs, let me know! Thanks for reading :)


	2. Amnesia

Another song-inspired fic. This one took a lot longer to write. I'm slacking. My bad. Enjoy anyway :)  
Chapter Summary: Gail reminisces about her relationship with Holly.  
Today's song: Amnesia by 5 Seconds of Summer

* * *

Driving around the city was never a fun feat. Some days it was easier than others. Today was no such day. Passing by some of the places where Holly's presence still lingered was a never-ending challenge. Gail drove by The Black Penny on her adventure down memory lane. It was the place where they had their first break up. It was also the last place they shared a drink together before she left for San Francisco. Earlier that day, Gail had driven past the forest where she first met the forensic pathologist.

Sometimes Gail wondered if what she had with Holly was real, or if it was all just a lie. There were so many ups and downs to their relationship that she never really figured out if their relationship was any better than her previous ones.

No, that was the real lie. Her relationship with Holly, regardless of the setbacks and heartache, had been worth it. Being able to spend any amount of time with this amazing, wonderful person was a blessing.

Gail found herself parked outside Holly's old house. She didn't even remember how she ended up here. Her inner map must have led her here subconsciously. Looking over to the door of the house, Gail was immediately thrown back into the memory of when her heart broke for the second time that year.

_They had decided to move their conversation from the locker room to Holly's house, both women knowing that it was better suited to somewhere more private than 15 Division. The instant they entered the living room, Holly confessed everything about the job opportunity in California and how rare it was for someone her age to even be offered the position. With every word she spoke, Gail fell even further into turmoil. She didn't want Holly to leave, but there was no way she would ask her girlfriend to give up such a prestigious job._

_The moment Holly reiterated that she was leaving in two weeks time Gail broke. Tears ran down porcelain features, prompting soft tan hands to reach up and wipe them away. Gail didn't care that her mascara was probably running at this point. There was no sense in hiding her feelings about the situation presented to her. Holly felt her own set of tears sting the back of her eyes, but fought as much as she could to hold them back. She pulled the blonde woman into a strong embrace, but when she did she lost composure and allowed her tears to freely flow. _

Gail shook her head, pulling herself back to the present. Some days she thought it would be easier to wake up not remembering anything about their relationship. Maybe it would be easier to wake up with amnesia and just forget everything she ever felt. If she did, she wouldn't have to deal with the pain, the heartache, or the emptiness. She could forget those stupid little things Holly did that put such a smile on her face, like the way the doctor pushed her glasses up her nose when she was reading or how she'd bite her bottom lip when she nervous. Forget the way it felt to fall asleep next to the person Gail considered to be her other half - her better half.

On days like today, the blonde officer found herself drawn to the pictures on her phone. The visual memories of the best relationship she had ever had shone brightly on the little screen as she swiped through them. Pictures of stolen kisses, sleeping figures, special outings, and secret feelings filled the handheld device. Gail threw her head against the headrest and let out a loud sigh, hoping to distract from the tears she could feel burning in her eyes. No one would ever be able to replace Holly.

Driving away from the place she once felt was almost home, Gail wound back up at her beloved bar, secretly hoping her colleagues were not there. Walking through the doors of the Penny, she spotted familiar faces, but not those of her fellow officers. Instead, these faces belonged to Holly's friends. At least, one of them did. Rachel, if Gail recalled correctly, was the nice one. Yes, the nice one was who was waiting patiently at the bar for the drinks she just ordered.

Gail wandered over and took a seat on the bar stool, hoping not to strike up a conversation with this one off acquaintance. Unfortunately for her, Rachel spotted the blonde and, drinks in hand, sauntered over to her.

"Gail, hey. It's been a while." Rachel cheerily said.

Placing her order with the bartender, Gail spun around on the stool, "Hi Rachel. Odd to see you here on my turf. What brings you here?"

Taken aback, Rachel kept a smile on her face despite the somewhat bitter words spoken to her, "A friend of mine heard about this place and wanted to go. I enjoyed it last time I was here, despite everything that happened. You know, I was really happy when you and Holly got back together."

"Yeah, well, she moved out to San Francisco, remember? Didn't exactly work out." The officer let out a slight sigh at her remark.

An awkward silence fell upon the two women before Gail spoke up.

"How is she doing out there?"

Rachel shrugged, "She's good. She enjoys her job, doing well at it. I think she's happy?"

"You think?"

"Listen, I have to go. My friend is waiting for me over there," she pointed to a corner booth where another woman sat, "It was nice running into you. Have a great night Gail."

As she watched the other woman walk away, Gail couldn't help but ponder the words. _'I think she's happy?'_ What was that supposed to mean? The blonde quickly reached for the phone in her pocket and searched through copious emails. Holly had sent her the new cell phone number she had in San Francisco when she first moved, however Gail hadn't found a need to save the number in her contacts until now.

Composing a new text message, Gail typed and retyped words, never being satisfied with a message. After what seemed like forever, she finally settled on a short text.

'_I hope you're doing fine in San Fran.'_

Pursing her lips together, Gail lightly tossed the phone back on the table and took a long sip of her drink, sighing in the process. She looked down at her phone after it beeped once, indicating a newly received text message. The name flashed on the screen and she quickly unlocked her phone to read the text. It wasn't long or filled with anything she was expecting. A long message about how beautiful the city is, how great her job was, or details about how happy her life was in California was what Gail had been anticipating.

No, instead of any of that, all that was sent were six simple words.

'_I'm really not fine at all.'_


	3. The Call (Two Black Cadillacs)

I wrote a thing. I don't know what I was on to make me think of this (probably lack of sleep), but here's another song-inspired fic. I actually have maybe 3 other song fics on the go (one of which I've been writing for almost a month now) but my brain decided to write this one in a couple hours. What is wrong with me..

Song: Two Black Cadillacs by Carrie Underwood

* * *

The sound of Pachelbel's "Canon in D" filled the room as the device spewing the music vibrated in tune. Holly set down the forensic article she was reading and grabbed the phone sitting on the bedside table. She glanced at the name displayed on the phone, which read 'unknown' followed by the ten-digit number. Looking over at the clock, she shook her head. It was too late for solicitors to call.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Who is this?" The female voice on the other end was blunt and not at all courteous.

Holly raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the caller, "Excuse me, but may I ask who is calling?"

"I asked first."

"You called me."

The caller responded immediately, disregarding the banter, "Why do you keep calling my husband?"

Holly fell silent. What was this woman talking about? Husband? Certainly she wasn't talking about Nick. No, Nick was her boyfriend, there was no way he was married. This person must have the wrong number.

"I'm sorry, miss, but I think you have the wrong number. I'm going to hang up now." Before the caller could respond, Holly pressed the end button on her cell phone. Not more than thirty seconds later, the familiar ring tone went off again. She looked down at the called ID listed. It was the same number that just called.

"What do you want? I told you, you have the wrong number." Holly almost shouted into the microphone.

"Why are you listed as just 'H' in my husband's phone?"

Okay, Holly thought, small coincidence that this person's husband listed someone as 'H' and her named began with the same letter. It surely wasn't enough evidence to think this caller was married to her boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, I wish I could help you but I really do think you have the wrong person. Please stop calling me."

Before she could hang up on the mystery caller, the voice continued to question, "Why does Nick call you every night?"

Holly's face turned pale as her mind thought up countless scenarios to determine what was happening. There had to be a good explanation for this. It must be a different Nick. Nick was a common name these days. Yes, that must be it. There was no way this woman's Nick was the same as her Nick.

"Are you there? Don't you dare hang up on me again! I want to know why you and Nicholas Collins call each other every day."

Shit.

"You're his mistress aren't you?" The woman seemed less irate and more at ease with the subject.

Holly, on the other hand, scoffed at the statement, "I am no one's mistress. Nick is my boyfriend."

"So is ruining marriages your day job or is that just what you do at night?"

"Hang on now, I didn't know Nick was married. When I started dating him he told me he was single and just gotten out of a rough relationship. Are you sure you're not delusional?"

The caller laughed, "Me? Delusional? I doubt the city of Toronto would allow me to be a police officer if I was delusional."

Double shit. The wife was a cop and could probably find out anything she wanted about Holly.

"How long have you been seeing my husband?"

Holly sighed in defeat, "About three months. But listen, I swear I didn't know he was married! If I knew, there's no way I would have started anything with him. I'm not that kind of person!"

The woman laughed again, "This is ridiculous. Why should I be mad at you? He's been playing us both for months. I should have known."

Holly wasn't sure what to say at this point. She herself was furious that her boyfriend was married, yet felt overwhelmingly heartbroken for this woman who was his wife.

"What's your name?"

"Why? Are you going to do a background check on me?"

"No, I just want to know the name of the person my husband decided to lie to as well."

"Holly. My name is Holly."

"Well Holly," the woman spoke, "I need a drink. I'm thinking you could probably use one as well. I'll be at The Black Penny in an hour if you'd like to join me."

Holly glanced at her clock again. Nine thirty-four. She contemplated the pros and cons of meeting this woman in person, but finally relented. "I'll be there."

"Good. I'll be the blonde at the bar with a shot of tequila waiting for you." With that, the line went dead. Holly sighed loudly. This was going to be a long night.

Holly arrived at the bar promptly at ten thirty. Walking in, she scanned the bar for the mysterious blonde with tequila shots. After a few moments, her eyes landed on the woman she was looking for. Gorgeous blue eyes and crimson lipstick that popped accompanied the aforementioned blonde hair.

"So how exactly does one introduce themselves to their boyfriend's wife?" Holly said casually as she walked up beside the woman.

Without looking away from her fixation on the alcohol bottles ahead, the woman placed the waiting shot of alcohol in front of Holly. "You take a shot of tequila with her and order a drink of our choice."

The bartender came around to Holly just as she took the tequila in her hand, "I'll have a rye and ginger please." The bartender nodded and within seconds placed the drink on the bar for her. She gestured to the woman beside her, "And get her whatever she'd like."

The blonde turned to finally face Holly once the bartender set her rum and coke down beside her shot. "Damn."

Holly played with the filled shot glass as she spoke, "Yeah, this is crazy."

The woman shook her head, "No, you're beautiful. I can see why Nick fell for you."

"Oh," Holly blushed at the compliment, "Well I mean he's a fool to even think about being with someone other than you. I don't know anything about you, but in the looks department alone you're already at a ten out of ten."

The woman put up her hand to stop Holly from talking, "Hmm, shot first, talk after."

The two women downed their tequila, with Holly taking a sip of her drink to chase the burning liquid. "So does this mysterious wife have a name?"

"Gail. Come on, let's go to that corner table in the back." The woman stood up to move, with Holly close on her trail.

"Is this where you plan to murder me?" Holly joked, hoping to keep tensions as light as possible.

"If I wanted to kill you I would have done it already." Gail sat down and drank a heft portion of her beverage, "Plus, you're not the one I want to dispose of right now."

Holly took a seat across from the blonde, following her lead and taking another sip of her drink, "Yeah. I know how you fell." Holly met the Gail's gaze and swiftly added, "But I mean, you're his wife and you've been with him longer so you have more of a right to want to kill him than I do."

"What are you saying all these words?"

Two hours and three drinks later, the two women were bonding over theoretical ways to murder their mutual significant other.

"No, Gail, see you can't just throw a body into a ravine and hope it decomposes there after breaking his jaw. If anything, the bones would still show the signs of struggle and trauma. Plus, they'd probably be a bit smelly."

Gail huffed, "Well you can be in charge of disposing the body then. I could take care of the crime scene, you know, make sure all the evidence is cleaned up and no one is the wiser." The two women shared a laugh as they finished their final drink.

"Honestly though, I don't think I'd ever be able to kill someone. It's too much work."

Gail nodded in agreement, "Yeah I'm definitely not about that lifestyle."

"What? Committing murder or working hard?"

"Both."

They sat for a few minutes in silence. Holly readjusted her glasses while Gail spun her drink glass on the table. Both looked up at the same time to meet each other's gaze. Gail was the first the move, standing up just enough to lean across the table, her lips an inch away from Holly's. Unsure of exactly what Gail was doing, but feeling the need to follow suit, she leaned in to close the gap between them for a quick kiss. Gail then sat back down without breaking eye contact with Holly.

"So, care to explain that one to me?"

Gail shrugged as if nothing happened, "I just wanted to see how Nick felt when he kissed you."

"Oh. I see." Holly tried to comprehend the blonde's rational, "Well, hopefully you got what you were looking for."

"I'm not sure, but I really enjoyed that kiss." Gail leaned back in the booth, eyes still locked on her companion, "Maybe I'm bisexual."

Holly laughed at the comment, "Welcome to my world, Gail."

"Oh, so you're bi? That might explain the plaid flannel."

"Mmm, I consider myself a lover of people. I fall for the person, not their sex."

Gail sat up straight and a devious smile spread across her face, "Holly, I have a better way to get back at that cheating scumbag than plotting his death, which neither of us will actually follow through on."

Holly looked at Gail quizzically, unsure of where she was headed with this statement. The blonde grabbed her purse and stood up from the booth. She extended her hand to Holly, who was still confused.

"Let's get out of here."

Holly smiled as she realized where Gail's mind was headed. She took the blonde's hand and followed her lead out of the bar. Tonight was definitely going to be a long night.


	4. Rude

I wrote this while driving to Windsor with my sister and her fiance. Productivity levels were at a high for two hours, so y'all get two updates in three days! Also, to those wondering if I'll continue The Call (the previous chapter's story), the answer is maybe. If I get inspiration to continue it, I will. :) As always, thanks for reading!

Song: Rude by Magic!

* * *

It was a Saturday morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the animals were frolicking.

And Holly was nervous beyond reason.

Today was the day Holly was going to ask her girlfriend a very important question. First though, she had to seek out Gail's parents. Being a somewhat traditional family, Holly knew it was important to seek out their approval before approaching Gail. Of course, even if they disapproved, she'd ask Gail to marry her anyway, but it would make life so much easier if they were on board as well. Not that Holly thought Bill and Elaine Peck would do such a thing, but the matriarch of the Peck household was a hard person to impress. There definitely was no denying that.

Gathering her thoughts together, Holly decided on wearing business casual clothing to hopefully further impress the Pecks. She'd only met them a few times at the Peck family dinners that she had accompanied Gail to, but she was sure Elaine had probably done a background check on her the minute she got back from San Francisco. Holly took a long, deep breath before ringing the doorbell. The chimes sounded through the house, and with each passing second Holly grew more nervous.

Elaine answered the door promptly, giving a raised eyebrow to the brunette that stood before her. "Hello Holly. I didn't realize you and Gail were gracing us with your company today."

"Hi Mrs. Peck. Um, Gail's not with me. I was actually hoping to talk to you and Mr. Peck if you had a spare minute." Holly nervously said.

Elaine stood there for a moment before responding, "Well, Bill is out right now but I have some time free right now. I'm sure whatever it is you're here for, you can discuss with me. Come in." Elaine moved to the side to allow Holly into the house, but stopped her after she closed the door, "And for future reference, it's Superintendent Peck."

Great, Holly thought, off to a great start. Elaine led her to the living room and took a seat on the leather couch. Holly followed, perching herself on the edge of the adjacent matching chair. Taking another deep breath, she decided just to jump right to the reason of her presence and not dance around the question.

"I want to ask Gail to marry me."

Elaine raised her eyebrows in the slightest motion, "You do?"

"Yes."

"My answer is no."

"What?" Holly was taken aback but the bluntness of the answer.

"You two have had a couple break ups in the past if I'm not mistaken."

"Yes."

"You left her."

"And I came back to her."

"What's stopping you from leaving again? As I recall from my daughter's previous relationship records, her significant others always leave multiple times. I want what is best for my daughter, _who_ is best for my daughter. Despite what Gail believes, I do have her best interests at heart. So, again I ask, what is stopping you from leaving again?"

"I love Gail, and I want to be with her for the rest of my life. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Honestly, I'm going to marry her anyway, no matter what you or anyone says."

"So why did you come here in the first place?"

Holly was unsure of what to make of the entire encounter so far. She licked her lips and replied, "I know that you're a traditional person. Hence why I was asking-"

Elaine interrupted mid-sentence, "Clearly you don't know Gail if you're asking my permission to marry her, though."

"I guess I was doing it more out of respect for you."

"Mmm. Interesting."

"What's interesting?"

"You don't really care what I think on the matter, yet you say you've come here out of respect for me. It makes me question what's actually going on."

"Excuse me?"

"Why are you really here, Holly?"

"I already told you."

"No, you gave me excuses. You're not here for Gail's sake or mine; you're here for your own. You asked my opinion on the matter because if I said yes, it would mean I've forgiven you."

Having enough of the conversation, Holly stood up to leave, "I don't need your forgiveness for anything. I haven't done anything wrong."

"Holly, I know you well enough to know that family is important to you." That stopped Holly in her tracks. She turned to face Elaine, who then continued, "And Gail, she's a very loyal person. She's loyal to her friends and family, which I'm sure you're aware of. You wouldn't in good conscious cause a riff between Gail and her family unless you knew that I'd forgiven you for breaking my daughter's heart more than once."

"Technically she broke up with me the first time."

"Doesn't matter."

"We've been together a year now since I returned from San Francisco. Doesn't that say something?"

"Holly, you are a phenomenal person. You're a good person. But when it comes to relationships, you're no better than say Nick or Chris. You all left her behind."

"You're wrong."

"How so?"

"I asked her to come with me. When I took the job in San Francisco, I wanted her to move with me."

"Did you honestly think she would? Did you think she would pick up her entire life and follow you out there?"

Holly closed her eyes, reveling in the words just spoken to her. As her eyes opened, Elaine noticed the slightest glimmer of tears, "Going without Gail was the hardest decision I've ever had to make. She didn't want me to give up that opportunity."

"Like I said, she's a loyal person." Elaine smiled at own comment, "And despite what many think, she's very selfless when it comes to the people she cares about. My dear, the reason I say no to you is because I don't want Gail to feel like she always has to give up something in order to make you happy."

"I've never made her feel that way."

"By leaving for San Fran you did. She gave up _you_ in order to make you happy."

"But I wasn't happy out there. That's why I came back."

"You never had to leave in the first place."

Silence fell between the two women for what felt like a lifetime. Neither Holly nor Elaine broke eye contact.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt her." The words crept out of Holly's mouth so quietly they were barely above a whisper. "I'd spend the rest of my life making it up to her though."

Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around Holly, startling her. She was so surprised by the other woman's gesture that she was unsure if she should continue the embrace.

"Well, now that we've had this chat, I think you'll make a fine daughter-in-law."

Hearing Elaine speak those words made everything that had happened today worth it. Holly shut her eyes and allowed herself to hug back. They stood there for a few moments before Elaine stepped back to lead the younger woman to the door.

"Holly?" The younger woman spun around to meet a set of stern eyes on her. "You're lucky to have someone like Gail in your life."

"I am, very much."

"Don't make either of us regret this."

Taking a deep breath, Holly nodded in agreement before walking out the door and to her car. She sat in the vehicle for a solid minute before shaking her head to herself. There was no chance in hell she was going to lose either of the Peck women's trust again. Slowly, a smile of realization crept on her face – the hardest part was over, now all that was left to do was to ask Gail to marry her.


End file.
